Page:Magic book, or, The whole art of ledgeremain.pdf/12

12 little bits of paper, and setting fire to it, there will be the report of so many great guns, but it will not produce any bad effect.

To tell a card thought of Blindfold.

Take twenty-one cards, and lay them down in three rows, with their faces upward; (i.e.) when you have laid out three, begin again at the left hand, and lay one card upon the first, and so on to the right hand; then begin on the left hand again, and so go on until you have laid out the twenty-one cards in three heaps at the same time requesting any one to think of a card. When you have laid them out ask him which heap his card is in: then lay that heap in the middle between the other two. This done, lay them out again in three heaps as before, and again request him to notice where his noted card goes, and put that heap in the middle as before. Then taking up the cards with their backs toward you, take off the uppermost card, and reckon it one; take off another, which reckon two; and thus proceed till you come to the eleventh, which will invariably prove to be the card thought of. You must never lay out your cards less then three times, but as often above that number as you please. This trick may be done without